


Ill hold you even through the darkest depths of hell

by orphan_account



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Caring Zuko, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Hurt Sokka (Avatar), I'm Bad At Tagging, Implied Sokka/Zuko (Avatar), M/M, Men Crying, Parent Death, Phonefic, Pre-Relationship, Sokka & Zuko (Avatar) Friendship, Stubborn Katara (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zuko is trying his best, at least attempted, best of boys, sad sokka
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-08-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 06:47:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25669186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Zuko smiles softly and nods. For good measure, Sokka holds out his pinky. He knew Zuko wouldn't tell anyone, but him and Katara always pinky promised each other. Zuko smiled softly and connected his pinky with his.“Im never gonna judge you, alright?” Zuko said reassuringly. He needed Sokka to know he wasn't here to bring him down, he was here because Sokka is the first boy to ever trust zuko with this kind of information, and that held a special place in Zuko heart.“I know”
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 136





	Ill hold you even through the darkest depths of hell

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this is barley proof-read. I write really fast and i make a lot of mistakes. Let me know if there are any you catch though :)

“We will be back by morning, dont do anything stupid ” Katara said as she packed up some stuff. Her, Aang and Toph we’re gonna head into the village nearby to grab some things they might need. Sokka really wasnt in the mood, hes been sulking in his tent all day. Zuko offered ro stay back and make sure he was alright.

“Yes ma’am” Zuko nodded. He was still a bit on kataras bad side but everyday seemed to get a bit better, hopefully. 

Toph and Aang were already a ways away from the camp site, aang waving his goodbyes as toph stared into the abyss. katara ran to catch up with them. Zuko waves back and sighed, looking back at sokkas tent. He didnt really feel like he had the right to barge in there and demand sokka tell him what was wrong. So if he couldnt go to sokka, he would bring sokka to him. 

Before they had came to the western air temple the team stopped by a village and grabbed a whole load of dumplings. He made a fire, deciding to re-steam them to see if he can use the smell to entice sokka out of his tent. 

He waited for the dumplings to cook, the smell of the food filling the air around them. He heard rustling coming from sokkas tent. He smiled softly, his plan was working. 

Sokkas head peaked our of the tent. Zuko motioned for him to come over, pulling six dumplings out of the steamer and onto one of tophs makeshift metal plates. He handed it to sokka, who took it hesitantly. 

Zuko got a good look at sokka. His hair was in its usual wolf tail, only more disheveled than usual. His eyes were puffy, as if he had been crying. And the bags under his eyes were horrendous. But it wasnt his place to comment on this. 

Sokka ate much slower than usual, staring into the flames in deep thought. Zuko bit the inside if his cheek, not knowing what to say or how to say it. 

“Your not gonna eat?” Sokka croaked out. His voice was hoarse and was probably sore. Zuko shook his head as he grabbed a kettle. He filled it with water from a near by creak and let it boil. 

“No. I ate with everyone else” Zuko said. Sokka nodded, understanding he just wasn't there to see him eat. Zuko placed tea leaves that he had from iroh and let them steep for a few minutes. 

Those few minutes were unbearable for Zuko. He didnt know what to say to try to get Sokka to talk to him, to tell him whats wrong. 

“Here, drink this” zuko said as he poured the finsihed tea into a cup and handing it to Sokka. He eyed the cup, then looked back at zuko, then back at the cup. He took it and chugged it down. He handed the cup back to zuko, who took it away. 

Zuko sat back down as sokka continued to eat. Sokkas eyes were darting across the site. The sun was about to set. It was one of those days where you could see the moon even when the sun was out. Sokkas eyes lingered on the moon, zuko always noticed this. 

Zuko cleared his throat, making sokkas eyes dart away from the illuminated circle in the sky. “Im not the best at giving advice, but um, im here if you need anyone to listen to you. Not that no one listens to you just that, you look like you’re not okay. But you look fine, really you do you look- ugh never mind“ Zuko mentally face palmed himself. Sokka let out a soft smile at his rambling, the first time he has smiled today. 

The smile quickly faded as sokka stood up. Zuko thought he was gonna walk away, but instead he motioned for zuko to follow him. It was a few seconds later when sokka was a few meters away that Zuko relized what he wanted. He jumped to his feet, jogging to catch up with sokka.

Sokka sat at the edge of the cliff, zuko carefully walked up to him, sitting besides him. Sokka took a deep breath. 

“When I was younger, there was a fire nation raid on my village. I was with my dad so i couldnt stop it” Sokka’s eyes teared up. Zuko shuffled closer to him, not knowing exactly how to comfort him. 

“They killed my mom. She said that she was the last water bender of the southern water tribe and they killed her.” Sokkas voice was cracking as tears fell down his face and on to his lap. Zuko starred at Sokka crumbling in on himself, paralyzed in feae of making the wrong move. After a few minutes of Sokka silently sobbing and Zuko debating with himself on what to do, Sokka continues. 

“I wasnt as emotionally connected with my mom as Katara was, but i still loved her. And...” sokka sobs continued, his face burried into his hands. 

“I have no clue what she looks like. I-i don’t remember...” Sokka's sobbs strengthened, his breathing strained. Zuko knew he needed to calm sokka down, he wasn't getting enough air. Zuko panicked. 

Hesitantly, he gentry pried Sokkas hands from his face. Sokka looked up at him, not expecting zuko to be doing this. Zuko wrapped his arms under sokkas. Immediately sokka started sobbing into zukos shirt. Zuko rubbed slow circles on his back, remembering the way iroh had comforted him when his mom left. 

“Im such a horrible son, who forgets what-“ Zuko couldnt let sokka talk bad about himself, not now. It would only agitate him more. 

“Shhh, you were young. You forget things from when we were young, it doesnt mean your a bad son” zuko attempts to comfort him. Sokka burries his head into the crook of zukos neck. Zuko subconsciously pulls sokka into his lap, Sokkas legs now wrapped around Zuko waist as he sobs into Zuko neck. His nails were clinging on to Zuko’s back for dear life, causing Zuko to wince in pain. But he ignored it for Sokka’s sake. 

Zuko continues to reassure sokka with “its okay” and “you‘re not a horrible son”. Sokka’s sobs get calmer, but he clenches closer to Zuko. It was night now and it was beginning to grow colder by the second. He pulls Sokka closer, if possible, knowing his body is running like a furnace. He uses both arms to rub Sokkas back. 

After what seems like an eternity of them sitting together, Sokka pulls his head away. He sniffles, avoiding eye contact with Zuko. He panics, realizing the position there in. He doesnt mind it, not at all. Hes just not used to contact, but this is sokka. And Sokka isn't gonna hurt him. 

“Im sorry” Zuko blurts out before he can stop himself. Sokka teary eyes bolt back at him. 

“Huh?” Sokkas sore throat managed to say out loud. 

“Im sorr- im sorry i said i was sorry. Its just instinct” Zuko shakes his head. Sokka let out a small smile, smaller than the one at the campfire but it was still a smile nonetheless. 

“Can we-“ sokka clears his throat before he continues. “Can we keep this between us?” Sokkas voice was now a bit more clearer, not having to rip out a sob from his throat every 5 seconds. 

Zuko smiles softly and nods. For good measure, sokka holds out his pinky. He knew Zuko wouldn't tell anyone, but him and katara always pinky promised each other. Zuko smiled softly and connected his pinky with his.

“Im never gonna judge you, alright?” Zuko said reassuringly. He needed Sokka to know he wasn't here to bring him down, he was here because Sokka is the first boy to ever trust zuko with this kind of information, and that held a special place in Zuko heart. 

“I know” 

It was the first real interaction that Sokka had ever had with Zuko. It was the lube to the wheel that would begin to start turning. In what direction? Neither one knew. The only thing Zuko knee was in that moment he still believed that Sokka looked as beautiful as ever, even with his horrendous eye-bags and tear-stained cheeks.


End file.
